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From: ka@hou3c.UUCP (Kenneth Almquist)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: The Return of KAL 007
Message-ID: <655@hou3c.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 2-Jul-84 23:43:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou3c.655
Posted: Mon Jul  2 23:43:42 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 3-Jul-84 03:22:18 EDT
References: <383@tty3b.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 25

One of the least believable ideas in the article was that Moscow might
have agreed not to present evidence of U. S. involvement with the KAL 007
flight in return for an agreement to demilitarize the shuttle.  This
notion strikes me as absurd.  First of all, U. S. / Soviet are more frigid
that they have been in years; I have a hard time believing that either
side would even try to negotiate such a touchy agreement.  Let's face it;
the American and Soviet diplomats do not sit down and say, "We appear to
have a conflict.  Let's sit down and try to find a win-win solution that
will meet both our needs."  Do you think that Moscow would seriously
expect Washington to keep its word on such an agreement of vice versa?

The Soviets are quite nationalistic; it is hard to imagine them sacrificing
face on the world stage to gain a private concession from the United States.
Similarly, there are plenty of hawks in the current administration; I have
a hard time picturing this administration "giving in to Soviet blackmail".

For that matter, if such an agreement was reached, why hasn't it been
leaked to the press by now?  Sure, it is possible for the U. S. government
to keep a secret if everybody involved agrees that it is vital to the
security of the United States, but what would such an agreement protect
the security of the United States or would it sacrifice the security of
the United States to protect the image of Ronald Reagan?  Any such agree-
ment with the Soviet Union would be about as secret as the "covert" war
against Nicaragua.
					Kenneth Almquist